Feb. 15, 2008

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford University basketball team will play its final home game of the 2007-08 season Saturday as the Bulldogs welcome the Eastern Kentucky Colonels to the Pete Hanna Center for a 7 p.m., Ohio Valley Conference matchup.

Prior to the game, Samford's graduating seniors Joe Ross Merritt and Travis Peterson will be recognized for their five years of hard work and dedication with a special "Senior Night" presentation.

Fans unable to attend the contest in person can listen to Samford's Kevin Henslee call the game live on WVSU 91.1 FM and via the internet at www.samford.edu/groups/wvsu.

Samford (11-14, 8-9 OVC) heads into the matchup looking to snap a mini two-game losing streak. On Feb. 9, the Bulldogs were defeated on the road against first-place Austin Peay 67-49 and recently suffered a heart-wrenching 64-58 home loss versus Morehead State on Thursday.

Samford's Merritt and Peterson are both leading the team with 12.3 points per game.

Eastern Kentucky (13-11, 10-6 OVC) has been victorious in five of its previous six games, but recently dropped a 73-61 decision against Jacksonville State on Thursday. The loss snapped the Colonels' five-game winning streak, which dated back to their 64-57 defeat against Samford on Jan. 19.

So far this season, Eastern Kentucky owns a 5-7 record on the road and an 8-4 mark at home.

The Colonels enter tonight's game in a two-way tie for third place in the OVC standings. Junior forward Mike Rose leads the team with 15.5 points per contest, while senior center Darnell Dialls is averaging 12.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.

Samford and Eastern Kentucky are in a dead heat when it comes to the all-time series between the teams.

The series is currently knotted at 7-7 with the Bulldogs going 3-3 when playing in Birmingham and 4-4 on the road in Richmond, Ky. The teams have rotated wins since the 2004 season and Samford earned a 64-57 victory earlier this year Jan. 19.

In the first meeting between these teams, Samford's Bryan Friday exploded for a career-high 18 points. He was 6-of-6 from the field, 4-for-4 from 3-point range and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line. The Bulldogs' sophomore from Grapevine, Texas, also pulled down a game-high eight rebounds.

Samford's 2008 senior class of Merritt and Peterson will go down as one of the most decorated tandems in school history, and both players will be engrained in the record books for years to come.

During their time at Samford, these talented seniors have helped guide the Bulldogs to a pair of OVC Tournament semifinals and an impressive 44-29 conference record. In 2006, they led the team to its first 20-win season in six years and advanced to the championship game of the OVC Tournament.

It is safe to say that Samford's offensive style is unique, especially in the OVC.

While most teams in the conference play pressure defense and tend to run the ball up the court, the Bulldogs use patience and precision cutting on offense to get either a back-door layup or a wide open look at a 3-point shot. With that in mind, Samford's offense is hard to prepare for and often poses problems for the other coaches in the league to scout.

Since head coach Jimmy Tillette incorporated the Princeton offense at Samford in 1997, the Bulldogs have reeled off a 68-37 record in games played against teams that have less than three days to prepare.

Samford has recently suffered a pair of injuries to key players, including a setback to one of its starting guards.

In practice on Jan. 30, redshirt freshman Gaby Bermudez suffered a dislocated shoulder to his non-shooting (left) arm. The injury occurred when the Bulldogs' 6-for-4 guard from Miami, Fla., was diving for a loose ball.

Bermudez had surgery on Feb. 8 and is out for the season. He was averaging 13.6 minutes and 1.7 points per game.

On Jan. 31, Samford's starting two-guard Josh Bedwell suffered a high-ankle sprain in a 65-59 victory against Tennessee State. The Bulldogs' 6-foot native of Hartselle, Ala., missed the next two games due to the injury, but played sparingly against Morehead State on Thursday.

Following Samford's key OVC matchup against Eastern Kentucky on Saturday, the Bulldogs will take a few days off from competitive action before heading to Ruston, La., on Feb. 23, for a BracketBusters matchup against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs.

Samford Basketball Game Notes